Mugged: Guatemala and Nicaragua [Coda Coffee]

Subject: Coda Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged: Guatemala Batzchocola and Nicaragua Bella Aurora
Rating [see key]: both 5+

Colorado has been in the news a ton lately, sadly not much of it super positive. But one chipper piece that caught my ear came from the heralds of Roast Magazine, when they recently bestowed upon Denver's Coda Coffee Company the honor of 2014 Macro Roaster of the Year. Not a title given away flippantly, it's a distinction that recognizes Coda for it's hard work and accomplishments (I'm particularly impressed with the coffee carts in the Arizona Cardinals stadium).

Recently, I was honored to have two of their farm 2 cup coffees stop by my abode to spend a little quality time in my belly. They sent out their Guatemala Batzchocola, a coffee from the A'achimbal community, and their Nicaragua Bella Aurora, a former Cup of Excellence coffee. Both I sampled via pourover, french press and siphon.

Going alphabetically, I started with the Guatemalan beans. The pourover smacked of kavo syrup, smoked peanut, strawberry, oats, sarsaparilla and hazelnut with a medium body, proving multifaceted with a various sweet flavors and touch of smokiness. The french press contained smoked peanut, Nutella, strawberry, oats, root beer and caramel popcorn within a medium body; superbly sweet, with rich, sultry flavors. The siphon capped this fine coffee off with hazelnut, roasted peanuts, asian pear, lemon pepper, chicken, spinach and root beer, demonstrating some odd bed fellows but nonetheless, still a sumptuous coffee.

The Nicaraguan proved similarly complex. The pourover doled out heavy chocolate, habenero, smooth cream, seaweed, toasted walnut and noticeable fig. The french press sampled of chocolate, grapefruit, bran, corn tortilla, skim milk and nutmeg, with a medium body and grainy aftertaste. The siphon bellowed out chocolate, noticeable cream, seaweed, peanuts, fig cookie, slight brocolli and biscuit. Overall, the multiple infusions held a diverse and sometimes odd harmony of flavors, but each cup proved delicious.

Thus, if you happen to be near a coffeehouse that serves Coda or you wish to shop online, try out the orange juggernaut of the southwest.


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.  

Mugged: Ethiopian Yirg [Coda]

Subject: Coda Coffee Company
Mugged: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Rating [see key]: 5+


When I was out in Colorado, I was impressed by the reach of Coda Coffee Company. Out around the country I had not heard a whole lot about them but in Colorado, I found them in almost every town I stopped at.

Coming back east, I was fortunate enough to receive an offer to try out their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Having had good experience with them amidst the purple mountains majesty of Colorado, I accepted, infusing the coffee in my pourover, Espro Press and siphon.

The pourover demonstrated a multifaceted cup of dark cocoa, buttermilk biscuit, raspberry, pear, romaine lettuce and nutmeg amidst a medium body. Sweet and bright with a pinch of wheat.

The Espro Press created a similar cup, brimming with dark cocoa, raspberry, cherry, nutmeg, buttermilk biscuit and slight spiny melon within a medium body.

The last brew of siphon was the smoothest of the three. Full of chocolate milk, buttermilk biscuit, cherry, pear, nutmeg, tarragon and pronounced spiny melon, the brew had a lighter, medium body with a creamier and more distinctly wheaty profile.

Thus, if you seek a smooth Ethiopian with lots of cocoa and fruit, Coda's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is a fine candidate. Check out their website or stop by one of the many shops around Colorado to give the coffee a go.

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

CC: Kava Cafe

Subject: Kava Cafe
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


There's something about old wood buildings that makes me chipper. Maybe it's my love of spaghetti westerns or maybe it's the rustic feel of days past, but no matter my impetus, it is also quite the trend in many places to set up shop in old barns or bungalows.

One town that is full of such spiffy-looking digs is Breckenridge, Colorado. Walking down and around the main thoroughfares you are bound to see some intriguing constructs, ranging from salons to outfitters. One particular establishment that caught my eye for it's character also drew my gaze for the contents: a small shop slinging small donuts and coffee called Kava Cafe.

Though I had heard word about their great small donuts, I had not heard anything of their coffee. Looking inside their shack, I noticed they purvey Coda Coffee out of Denver, and having had fair experience with them prior, I gave Kava's coffee a try. For espresso, I had the Harmony blend and for the drip I had their Sumatra. The espresso, pulled somewhat long with thick blondish-brown crema, held potent notes of pepper and cinnamon within a bitter dark bite with not much else for flavor (alas, not the best espresso I've ever had). The Sumatra on the flip side was one of the better Sumatran coffees I've sampled in recent memory, with notes of honey, apple juice, caramel and nutmeg amidst a smooth, well-balanced, medium body.

While I can't boast of the espresso service that I had, it's plausible I hit the barista at a bad time. But even so, Kava still seems like a great spot on the main drag of Breck for a good cup of drip and some great, freshly-made donuts. Give it a try if you're in town.

CC: The Hub Coffee and Cones

Subject: The Hub Coffee and Cones
Location: Grand Lake, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


Rocky Mountain National Park is easily one of the most breathtaking parks in our fair nation. Tons of gorgeous mountain terrain, breathtaking vistas and plenty of wildlife make it a nature lover's Never Never Land. When I made my first visit there, I sadly certainly did not allot enough time to see all that I had hoped and was left like a child made to leave Chuck E Cheese before getting a chance to bury himself alive in the ball pit.

But on the way out, my entourage and I stopped in the lovely town of Grand Lake for some dinner and coffee prior to a 2 hour drive back to our base camp. We found a delicious evening meal of rocky mountain oysters and bbq at the Sagebrush BBQ and Grill but a couple different internet searches for coffee in the town made our hopes for evening joe bleak. Fortunately while we were driving down Grand Avenue, we spotted a place called Hub Coffee and Cones with a spacious patio in a cabin-like structure. Knowing little of what to expect, we walked through the metal patio furniture, up the porch and inside to a nicely arrayed venue of red and black that sported a decent amount of chic interior furniture and local art.

Turns out the coffee comes from reputed Denver roaster Coda Coffee Company, a fairly popular choice in the central CO region. I ordered an espresso of the Notorious Espresso Blend and from their legion of pump pots, a drip of their Mexican. The Mexican, a light roast with a medium body, doled out notes of milk chocolate, green tea, apple and sassafras; a sweet coffee with a root-ish quality. The espresso, pulled short/medium with a brownish-blonde crema, spoke of lemon, a little chocolate, salt, some spinach, lavender and a touch of cardboard; not the best shot but still pretty good. Also, as the name indicates, they serve a nice variety of ice cream.

After finishing up our short respite before embarking back onto the open road, I left the Hub happy to have randomly found a coffee oasis in an area with few great coffee options. If you're on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park and in need of a good cup of coffee, hit up the Hub Coffee and Cones.